


Siren

by fluffychanel



Series: Thematic Tales! [1]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M, Merman Aizen, uke!Aizen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:41:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25424803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffychanel/pseuds/fluffychanel
Summary: Siren: a mythical creature that lured sailors to their destruction, surely that was just that; a myth. Shinji sure didn’t believe in that crap, until the mirages at sea started...
Relationships: Hirako Shinji/Aizen Sousuke
Series: Thematic Tales! [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1841554
Comments: 34
Kudos: 32





	1. Drunken Pirate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nekoirma](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nekoirma/gifts).



> Based on this wonderful art: https://huevo-mundo.tumblr.com/post/619712324128866304/too-late-for-mermay-but-the-ship-sails =>Made by the lovely Huevo-Mundo on tumblr (Nekoirma on AO3) please check it out!!  
> Cat!! Your art is truly a gift from above!!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, it's characters, storyline, etc. All rights belong to Tite Kubo. 

**Siren**

**Chapter one: Drunken Pirate**

_“What we’ll we do with the drunken sailor, what we’ll we do with the drunken sailor, what we’ll we do with the drunken sailor in the early morning!!”_ A roar by Kensei inspired the crew to repeat the chant.

Decked out in their white ceremonial uniforms, worn only on special occasions and more often onshore, the crew was celebrating Shinji’s promotion aboard their combatant ship: Visored. The wardroom was normally only occupied by commissioned officers, but because of the occasion the whole damn crew was squeezed into it.

And most importantly, the bar was open, and the drinks were free of charge.

His promotion wouldn’t just be any promotion, Shinji would be joining Rose, as co-captain from now on. Which meant controlling the direction of their destination, so long their instructions were off. 

“Speech, speech, speech!!” The liquor was already flowing, and sloshing over everyone’s pint with the wild motions along to the crew’s enthusiastic cheers.

“‘right, alright!” Shinji waved his hands to get the crew to calm down, before climbing up on one of the tables. He almost lost his footing when Kensei hoisted him up by his arm and swung him almost over the table... Those massive guns rippled with the action.

“Okay!” he yelled while standing in the middle of the room, well above everyone’s heads. “Men!-” booing from a select few followed immediately after his exclamation and he corrected himself, “...and women!” while hoisting his glass up in the air in the direction of two particular women: Lisa and Hiyori.

And they weren’t regular women, they were part of his men! 

Lisa was practically born on sea, she was their late captain’s daughter and a well practiced combatant! And Hiyori, the fierce short woman could shock any male landlubber with her sailor’s mouth.

Lisa put an arm around their shortest member, while Hiyori was waving her fist in Shinji’s direction, probably cursing him out, as usual.

“‘right! It’s about time someone came along to strip off that flamboyant pink decoration in the bridge!” 

Rose, their current captain, peeked his head out of the galley, and raised a glass of wine, before disappearing just as fast. Rose was probably the only one who drank fine wine instead of the cheap liquor that was consumed in great quantities by the rest of the crew. And the navigation room reflected the rest of their captain’s flamboyant tastes. It’s a wonder the ship’s wheel wasn’t pink...

“I’ll be joining our Rose, navigating through narrow waterways and-”

Guffaws of laughter resounded through the room and he knew he had lost his crew’s attention, so it was better to end his speech with something that was bound to fire off the rest of the evening, “Enough jibber jabber, let’s drink! It’s not everyday that the liquor is free!” 

The crowd roared and the bar became the number one spot to hang around. Good! Shinji didn’t really know what else to say, besides the usual thank you speech that would lull everyone to sleep.

But he still celebrated along with an extra pint, before calling it quits. Rose shouldn’t be the only one on watch, even though their captain had offered to keep everything under control. 

He returned topside and the salted sea air bombarded his nose the second he stepped out into the deck. Sobering up his two drinks quickly. On his way over to the flying bridge, he could already see Rose’s long blond hair swaying in the wind. Apparently their captain had slipped away midst commotion... 

“It’s a calm night, no one in the immediate vicinity and sight is clear and transparent.” Rose said as soon as he came to stand next to his captain to watch the unobstructed views of the fore, aft and sides of the vessel. 

Weather forecast had them choosing tonight as the celebratory night, the weather would be on their side after all. “Which means autopilot, and that when I finally had my chance to steer the helm alone!”

It wouldn’t be his first time, not by far. He had been Rose’s co-pilot for a while now, Rose had taught him the ropes of how to commandeer Visored and how to respond to different sea conditions. Docking the ship in small harbours remained a pain in the ass though, but the rest he passed relatively with flying colours.

Rose laughed. “Your time will come.” 

“I can’t wait to steer this baby!” he boasted while rubbing the sleek grey material of the main mast.

It’d been his dream since he entered the navy as a private. 

“And I can’t wait to lay back and strum my guitar again, while I leave the reigns in your capable hands.” Rose mused.

Rose could often be found playing the guitar in their recreational room, with or without a co-captain to take over. Silent and calm waters had autopilot taking command more often than not. 

“Man overboard!!!”

He heard Rose mumbling something about drunken sailors. However, their captain didn’t make motions of checking it out so Shinji made himself useful and ran to the gangway, where one of his ‘men’ was bend over the railing, pointing out the fallen crew-member. 

Well, drinking and nighttime had them sometimes fishing out their own men. Yet when Mashiro shone a flashlight over the slumped over form on the floating raft, it was made clear by their getup that the man wasn’t part of their crew.

“Hoist him up!” Mashiro ordered almost immediately to nearby crew who had been wandering the decks in a drunken manner. Masshiro had become more than just Kensei’s bed-wench, she could be well above second lieutenant rank, if she ever applied.

The rescue mission took longer with their own crew sloshed, the danger of actually losing someone overboard was real.

Well, time to go down into the brigs, where the man would be taken to. 

\----

“He’s a pirate, you can smell him from miles away.” Hachigen informed him when he entered the small holding cell.

Well if that hadn’t given it away, the eyepatch and the attire sure would have. The pirate was currently sleeping his inebriated state off, judging by the loud snoring. It wouldn’t be a shocker to find out that the man had fallen overboard indeed. 

He searched the pirate’s pockets and he came up with a gun that wasn’t loaded. Some pirate it was!... The man wore a necklace though, but as he tried to free the heart pendant from the pirate’s long curly brown hair, he had to yank it practically out of the mess. It was tangled, worse than sailor knots! 

Inside of the pedant was a picture of a white haired man.

He glanced at Hachigen who responded with an endearing, “I don’t think he’s dangerous.”

Just because the pirate was carrying his loved one in a charm, didn’t mean jack shit. Even the worst offenders had someone dear to them...

Besides, the man looked like he came from a scuffle. His shirt had been ripped open, he was wearing only one of his boots and his neck seemed to be plagued with red-purplish marks.

He snorted but left the pendant hanging around the man’s neck. The eye-patch was actually there for a reason and no decoration, the old lad had lost an eye. Tough luck, but the pirate would lose more if he couldn’t come up with an acceptable explanation. Shinji then tied up the sleeping pirate’s wrists behind his back. Without a fruitful interrogation, their captive wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.

Unsheathing his sword, that he had dubbed Sakanade, he held his trusted blade at the ready for when their guest would wake up.

He could go back to the bridge, but what was the point when it was just as quiet above deck as below deck? And he didn’t really feel like re-joining his promotion party again. Drunk rambling was the worst!

Well, next to killing time, that was.

“Do you want a go?” Hachigen halted his crossword puzzle to offer him a try with some of the blank squares.

But he pushed the little book back over to Hachigen just as fast. “Aish! I’m crap at those!” he griped.

Plus he didn’t have the patience.

The pirate hadn't woken up once, it had been twenty minutes already! And except some repositioning, the man hadn’t cracked his single eye open at all. Who even slept comfortably with their hands tied in the back?

Instead, he grabbed Hachigen’s flask to take a swig from his drink, but the plain taste made him practically heave it back up. “Water?”

Hachigen nodded coyly.

Wait a minute, that meant... “Man you didn’t even show up at mah party!!” 

Hachigen went back to his crossword after given him an apologetic look. 

Granted Shinji wasn’t there currently either, but jeez he had expected his best buds to have been present at least!

He was about to give Hachigen a friendly nudge when he tripped over the pirate’s boot.

The pirate shot awake and frantically tried to free his hands from his ties. “What?! Where?!...”Somehow the man’s hands were suddenly loose and instead of grabbing for his non-existent pistol, he palmed his necklace instead.

Hachigen gave Shinji a look for his poorly made ties, which gave him momentarily a figurative boot to his ego, yet Shinji then caught sight of the small switchblade the pirate had in his hands.

How and when?!!!

He acted fast and dismantled the weapon out of the pirate’s hand, but the man easily allowed him and even held out his hands in a parleying fashion.

“Talk!” Shinji ordered with a nudge of the flat side of Sakanade.

“My ship has gone under, a heavy storm took everything to Davy Jones’ locker.” the pirate shrugged amicably.

“Mhm.” he responded unimpressed.

Yeah... alright. It was going to take a while before he could get anything sensible out of the pirate’s mouth. 

When Kyouraku, as his name was apparently, would sober up, he would understand the situation he was dropped in. But it turned out worse instead, it was as if Kyouraku had an invisible supply of alcohol storage somewhere because his tales became flooded with fairytales...

“...It started with this really dreamy melody...” Kyouraku hummed and it echoed through the hollow cellblock. “...and then suddenly bam!” the pipes making a noise simultaneously to the pirate’s tale made him and Hachigen jump. “...everything turned as black as the night, only lit up with lightning strikes every now and then. Thunder and storm enraged the seas and swallowed my ship whole! I was stuck between the devil and the sea: abandon my ship or fight an invisible enemy!”

Shinji sighed and glanced at Hachigen as if to ask what they would do with the drunken fool.

When asked about the name of his supposed ship, Kyouraku couldn’t answer, when asked about any possible crew members, Kyouraku didn’t remember their names...

But the story continued right into fantasy land...

“And then...this creature shows up! A beautiful appearance that had a strange alluring appeal from the get go. A shimmery purple tail hypnotised my senses as I woke up on this small lone island. But it was the den of the Siren!”

Okay...he had enough of those drunken ramblings.

He would find out more from his fellow crew members instead of relying on a drunken pirate that found nothing better to do than to steer them unto a fantasy stray track.

Shinji went up into the command and control centre, followed by Hachigen. Without the key or his switchblade, the pirate couldn’t possibly get out of his cell. Isolation would maybe even drive away those crazy thoughts. 

“He’s freaking catatonic! Tales about mermaids-”

“Mermen.” Hachigen corrected.

“Whatever! And the like...he’s crazy y’all!!” 

Love, their main tactical officer, broke out into a laugh.

“It ain’t funny!” he yelled. It really wasn’t. They were saddled up with this lunatic that could maybe be a diversion to a nearing enemy.

When he told that, the laughter disappeared immediately. 

“Yeah!! Thought so!”

“I checked, but there are no signs of a nearby wreck, no one is in the vicinity as I told you before.” Rose reassured. “But, we’ll be sending out patrol, I’ll be keeping in touch with the coast guard, you’ll take your place in the bridge and Hachigen will return to the brigs.”

He could have imagined a more peaceful first night as captain. Keeping watch had him on high alert for encountering pirates or an enemy ship. The starless calm night seemed to have been overshadowed by an eerie fog that fucked up his sight. But the moon was bright and in its full phase. A halo surrounded the bright astronomical body, spelling out the buckets of rain that were about to drop every second.

Ye could never trust the weather forecast...it seemed.

The phone ringing practically scared him out of his wits, but he could hear his crew member from above him on the flying bridge better than on the other end of the line. The horn sounding alarm broke off connection terribly, but he still heard the dreaded, “Batten down the hatches! Pirate ship in sight!!” 

He was still holding the phone while tapping the radar to shake the blasted thing to life. The GPS didn’t give off any signal that anyone was in sight though!...

“It’s the siren,...”

He dropped the phone and turned around at the voice from behind him to see the pirate standing there. How the Hell did he free himself?!! 

“...sending out a ghost ship.”

“Aish!!!” He waved off the other’s ridiculous chitter chatter and prepared himself for battle. He would deal with the drunken pirate later, but first!.... 

“Alright scallywags, all hands!!” Kensei roared from the quarterdeck.

And yet he couldn’t ignore a melodic tune that seemed to arouse from the seas below...


	2. Ariel

**Chapter two: Ariel**

“Ready the canons!!”

Blasting two holes in it would have it sinking down to the bottom of Davy Jones’s locker anyways. Funny how it was still drifting through the waters when it looked ready to croak. The ship was barely hanging on with mismatched floorboards that were already covering the evidence of previous enemy encounters. The sails had lost threading and what was still left of the ship’s flag, was a small piece of rag that was fluttering widely in the wind.

The ragged ol’ wood just wouldn’t hold against their monster full of steel.

And with the storm brewing, the weather Gods might be just ready to take down that ship already. 

And no one seemed to be aboard though, above deck it was almost eerily quiet as the ship passed them peacefully. Anyone walking on top of the fixer upper deck might be sinking straight to the bottom anyways. 

Shinji’s men were ready though, waiting on any sign of hostility.

Their sight momentarily worsened as the drizzle of rain changed into a full on downpour. His white formal uniform stuck to his skin in a matter of seconds.

The pirate ship was about to pass completely, it lightened momentarily when lightening struck before Shinji had to duck and dive as the bridge was suddenly targeted. Visored shook and creaked loudly as the canon detonated. It had shot a hole right through the bridge. Not just a hole, it had splintered two of the normally resilient walls and the roof had collapsed. Freaking impossible though, their combatant ship was made to withstand those old canons...

As if it had been a fucking torpedo or a naval mine... 

He crawled out from under the debris of wood and steeled armour. And put his cap back on when he found it stuck between splinters of wood. “Ghost ship, huh?!” he griped as he scoured through what was left of the bridge, on the lookout for the freaking pirate. 

Visored set anchor and fired off artillery in response, shooting whole missiles would be overkill on the near wreck. And with still no one in sight above deck, Kensei declared, “Going on board!”

Kensei along with Love and fifteen other men swung over to their enemy ship. Swords at the ready, they searched the deck. 

“You get them baby!!” Masshiro cheered with supportive swings of her fists.

But none of their missiles actually hit target, it was like an invisible armour was swallowing everything like the Black Hole. And any missiles simply doused out before they could implode.

Shit it was pouring, but it couldn’t be extinguishing their explosive projectiles. A phenomena he hadn’t seen before. This was just getting freaky.

And somehow...“I thin’ it’s the pirate’s buddies.” he mused out loud. Ever since they picked up the dude it all went south...

“Pirate?” Masshiro asked confusedly. 

A signal of, ‘Coast clear’ from Kensei had their men moving below on the enemy ship, through a hatch.

“Yeah the fuckin’ pirate that we fished out.”

She kept giving him this downright blank look. Kensei had to keep the headboard banging to a minimum if she was suffering memory loss already.

“Whateve’” he waved it away.

Huge waves struck the ship out of nowhere, spilling over the edges and forcing Shinji back a few steps. Until Visored teetered to one side which had Shinji just barely grasping at the railing for purchase as the whole ship swung back and forth. It had already been nighttime, but right now the sky had turned a pitch black.

Another wave of water curled up, billowing over the railing for a good second before it staggered over. He sputtered out access salty water that he had swallowed. It took his cap along into the furious flood. He hadn’t had the time yet to change into combat gear, how? Who the heck had time for that?!

Dangerous fluctuations or not, he had to take back control over Visored. Steer them possibly back into balance. His senior captain, Rose, was already uncovering the wheel from the pieces of the bridge.

“Tow the anchor back up!!”

Unruly waters drove the enemy ship away, should have at least, but whoever had control over that ship had to be a masterful seafarer, since it barely seemed affected by the rough weather.

And it seemed Hell bent on destroying them, along with the unsteady waters... 

With all their own man power available, busy with monitoring parameters or busy on that enemy ship itself, freaking who was there to counter another set of shots? 

As if Visored didn’t have trouble enough keeping from keeling over... 

Another dangerous swung to the left had random mooring rope, not fastened damn it, flying over and striking one of their men right in the throat. All equipments needed to be stored and lashed, that was what, one of the first precautions on unruly waters! Actually, they shouldn’t be out in open deck anyways.

But the storm had snuck up on them unexpectedly. The tale with the moon might have been a forebode, but then the heat of the storm should still be miles away...

He and Rose were interrupted when one of the privates from below deck came running towards them. “The...” The man pointed downwards, “...the torpedo belts...are breached...” and could barely get to the end of the sentence without stuttering or swaying drunkly.

“What?!” 

They had been targeted below water? “Try to moderate damage!” Obviously or they’d be flooding. “Are the water tight doors closed?!”

“They are...but...” Lightening alighted the private’s fearful face. 

They all lost footing and it wasn’t because of that nervous stutter that implied... Nah, impossible, Visored was unsinkable!

The melody sounded again, entrancingly moving his thoughts away from the inevitable. “Who the fuck is playing that music?!”

“What music?”

Masshiro then nearly slipped into the destroyed bridge to reach them. “Kensei and his men still haven’t returned...” 

Shinji looked at Rose and his captain nodded, that one time that he could truly show his worth at the wheel, but then he couldn’t abandon his crew either. Fine, he was going on board with another fifteen or so men. 

A whole feat when the ship rocked crazily from one side to the other. And then the waves that drew them back, prevented them from that jump. But it wasn’t difficult to estimate the leap when the moon illuminated the pirate ship in an ethereal glow. 

What was crazier was that the surface of the old deck wasn’t slippery at all. The onslaught of the thunderstorm had seemingly missed the ragged pirate ship.

He unsheathed Sakanade and made a motion to go into the direction of the hatch that Kensei and so had disappeared into. Yet, he didn’t hear a responding growl of approval.

Looking back he wanted to yell that the coast was clear, in case anyone was waiting on a signal. But when his men took their leap they just jumped over the ledge unto the depths of the ocean?!

“What the hell are y’all doing!!” He leaned over the railing, granted he would be encountering the rest of the crew struggling in the wild waves. But they were already down under?

And when the rest jumped, he could only be witness to the wide eyed captivated look they sported as they just jumped ship willingly?

“Ey!!!”

He did see a body diving back beneath the waters, but some sort of fishtail sprung out so that couldn’t have been one of his men. What the fuck was happenin’!

There was that sound again as well... The beautiful tune drew him in and steered him somehow towards the hatch.

Right, Kensei...

He snuck down the staircase, prepared to barge into battle. The rundown windows let in the streaks of the moon, brightening everything up. But the ship consisted only of one large cabin? Completely empty at that, with no pirates, none of his own damn crew, and no freaking furniture?! Except the canon that was firing off automatically? 

What the Hell?! Was it a ghost ship after all?! 

He slapped his own cheek, now more than ever under the impression that he had sunken into a nightmare or he had to start reconsidering his alcohol intake...

Sneaking off towards the canon, he inspected the fire weapon for anything that might explain its automatic supply of munition.

Oh but there was a door, just one, right beneath the staircase, which he hadn’t seen as he descended... It might finally lead him back to reality.

It was a storage room, but he wasn’t met with random supplies. He was bombarded with a weird disgusting sight. Thread like cocoons encased a dozen or so frames. Come to think of it, the shape kind of reminded him of a human. Were those actual bodies?

Reaching out a shaky hand, he cut a hole through one of the threads, only to recoil back when Kensei’s lifeless face stared back at him with wide eyes. He stumbled backwards and Sakanade clattered to the floor. “What the Hell?!! 

When he heard someone coming down the stairs, he scrambled for Sakanade again, ready to face whomever had laid a hand on his crew and decided to mummify them. What kind of sick practice was that?!

The man came down, a nonchalant swagger in place as if he owned the whole damn ocean. 

“Who ta fuck are you!!”

Shinji repositioned his stance on Sakanade when he didn’t receive an answer immediately.

The man only decided to respond once he had descended the stairs completely. “The captain.” he said calmly in a deep voice.

That polished slicked back hairdo, the white blouse that showed off a good portion of a lean chest and the gold medallion that grasped a purple orb around his neck... Hell the fact that he couldn’t even smell the man from where he stood, made him think he had encountered the most collected pirate he had ever seen on the seas.

But, if this was the captain, then, his gaze went back to the storage room, only it was empty?!!!

No way!! Before his mind dared to play any further tricks on him, he struck out with Sakanade, sinking his blade into the bastard’s flesh. Yet, the man’s image quite literally shattered. As he looked at the thousand of glass splinters, he was confronted with his own mirror image. It had been a freaking mirror?

Alright, he had enough of this freak show. Glancing once more into the direction of where he had first been confronted with his dead pupated crew, he was relieved to see it empty and treadless. Before he all but leaped back up.

The storm was still in full brew. Visored was practically keeled over and quite clearly sinking into the clashes of monster waves. 

Abandon ship should be the code here and yet he swung back on board. He fervently prayed that what was left of the crew had long since jumped ship and not in that strange zombie like manner that he had seen happening. The flares were gone though, so someone must have sent out the distress projectiles already. 

He then went below deck, where the water wasn’t yet flooding the halls. The sounds though echoing through the hallway declared it wasn’t far off, the ship had never been quiet, but these noises were like Hell itself had opened its maw. The ship crooned and creaked under the weight of the water that was filling its belly. 

Every door he opened, empty, no one was around. And the further he navigated into Visored, the higher the water levels reached his legs.

He trudged through the water into the spacious compartment of the command and control centre. Was the radio even working? Because the lights were flickering constantly. The distant static crackling noise he heard once he tried the radio was practically a life saver, “Mayday, mayday-”

There was an abrupt stop on the line and when that hauntingly beautiful melody started, Shinji punched the radio until it quit making any noise at all. It was too late anyways, and there was no one around anymore, he should be getting off the ship. 

The water had risen drastically by that point. And when he decided to plough back out into the hallway, he heard something ‘splashing’, something was approaching fast. Sakanade at the ready, he quietly tried to move through the water to peek around the corner into the hallway.

There was something honing in indeed. Something that practically glided through the water. And as it neared, the lights flickered one more time before everything got dark. He tried to concentrate on the sounds of the creature moving, but the thudding of his heartbeat made it almost impossible. It had to be a creature, something that moved that swift and fluidly underwater was not human...

And when he felt the waves of the water crashing into his face, he knew it had to be close enough to spear it with his blade. But except the pressure of the water, nothing collided with his sword. The thrusting noises through the water had stopped as well, so it had to be right in front of him?

He hardly moved before the unknown creature, afraid it would suddenly attack. His heartbeat was raging through his body and he was afraid the beast might feel his fear. When something slippery move passed his leg though he redirected Sakanade immediately.

The lights then flickered back on...but there was nothing in front of him. And as he searched the water, whatever he had seen had disappeared?

He rushed into the hallway, as much as he could with the water around his hips slowing him down. The whole hall had been flooded by then, and a good portion of the stairs had been swallowed up.

He hauled himself up by the railing, glad to finally have some steady ground beneath him, but as he ascended, he was suddenly hauled back. That something had gotten a hold of him and it dragged him back in the water and under. He forcefully inhaled salty water at the surprise attack, leaving his nose and lungs burning.

It was a person though, because it had hands, yet claws as well. Those talons pierced his flesh, squeezing into his stomach.

The creature was completely flattened to his back, using brute force to keep him down. He tried to wrench the blasted thing off, but its claws didn’t budge. Sakanade would saw right through those limbs though! 

His blade rippled through the water, but never made contact when the creature loosened one of its arms from around him to redirect Sakanade to Shinji’s throat. The sheer pressure had him struggling to prevent his sword from being used against him. And it had him swallowing another gulp of water.

Breathing was becoming a priority though!! But not for the thing that was hugging him from the back...

Air deflated from him, draining him and his struggles weakened. He could barely even keep his eyes open, but before he welcomed the darkness he seemed to be surrounded by a purplish glow?

\----

Shinji heaved up a cough of water the second he felt remotely conscious. He had seen something towering over him, but thinking it had been one of his surviving crew members, he first had to get that salty taste out of his lungs. 

He was still alive, what a freaking miracle. When his sight became somewhat less blurry, he looked around and seemed to be stranded on some sort of small island? The sandy white beach, the couple of palm-trees and clear blue seas would have made it the perfect isolated vacation spot. That is if he hadn’t been shipped off for deployment... 

Shaking his head and cursing at his bad luck, since besides that, the island was surrounded by rocks, he turned back to, “Where the- Hell!-” he startled into silence when he stared right into purple eyes?! 

There was a strange man sitting on one of the rocks that edged the sea and the man seemed to be watching him... Was that a fucking tail as well that was dipping into the water? A purple-bluish tail. “Why hello.” And it spoke?!

He was about to scoot backwards, away from that thing, when it became obvious that his hands and legs were tied together with rope. Okay, he was clearly in Hell for all the times that he pranked Hiyori. Or some weird purgatory where he was waiting for atonement.

Shuffling backwards anyways in the white sand, he put up some much needed distance, before yelling, “Why the Hell am I tied up and where the Hell am I?!!”

“Because you would be fleeing if I didn’t.” The fish...like thing said in a surprisingly soothing deep voice. “All you humans seem to like running away.”

He didn’t know what he was hearing, all humans?!! Was his crew around here somewhere, because he could see the whole island, which wasn’t a feat when it could be crossed in what, twenty or so steps? But no one was fucking here?! Except him and the, ‘little mermaid’.

“Okay Ariel, could you untie my hands now, I clearly can’t run away, because if ya hadn’t noticed, I have no fucking tail!”

It was then combing a hand calmly through its long hair. Long nails raked along brown locks and Shinji momentarily thought back to the creature that had hauled him into the water, but then again, those weren’t the freaky talons that had ripped into him. He quickly inspected himself, but the marks were gone? His uniform still had the threaded evidence though... “Who is Ariel?” it asked casually. 

He looked dumbfounded at the thing and then waved his inquiry away. “Ya wouldn’t understand...”

“I beg to differ, I’m quite knowledgeable about humans actually.”

Shinji snorted, sure. He motioned with his tied hands again. “‘right, could ya do me a favour then and get these off, maybe I can give ya a piece of advice while at it, tying up people ain’t nice, just thought I let you know...” he said sarcastically while cursing at himself to even engage this weird nightmare anyways. 

Just his fucking luck!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I initially wanted to end the chapter at the part where Shinji looses conscious, but then I changed my mind and put in a little bit of interaction between the two main characters. 


	3. Chrysalis Cove

**Chapter three: Chrysalis Cove**

“Welcome to Chrysalis Cove.” the merman said with outstretched hands as if Shinji still wasn’t tied up.

Shinji looked incredulously at that crinkled upper lip. Oh so it was funny?! “Listen, I’m only gonna ask ye one more time, untie me.” he motioned.

But all the merman did was shake his head. “No can do.”

“I’m about ta lose my freaking marbles here...” he muttered more to himself that the fish thing, before he clumsily searched the sand around him. “I’m making freakin’ fish filet out of ye if ya don’t...” when he came upon nothing but sand, it dawned on him that he had lost a for more important part of himself. “Where’s Sakanade?!”

The merman’s eyebrows furrowed together. “Who is Sakanade?”

“My sword!”

Those purple eyes then averted from him and that slick cocky smirk that appeared made Shinji lose it all together. Tied up or not, he was gonna try his best to take that thing down! So he reared up and took a few jumps that made him aware of how hot the sand was beneath his bare feet?... Great, he had lost his shoes as well...

He then took a dive to tackle the merman. What he would have done if he had actually gotten a hold of the thing, still remained a mystery in his brain. Probably choke it with the cords though.

Hands and feet tied, he couldn’t punch or kick out, but a headbutt sounded like a fairly good beginning.

It slipped into the water though. And Shinji got a mouthful of rock that practically knocked his teeth out...

His tied hands were currently nursing his aching jaw and trying to make sure he hadn’t chipped a tooth. Those rocks were sharp...

That he hadn’t thought about that earlier... He instantly sawed his bound hands against the sharper edges, the cord had to give... 

He barely acknowledged the sound of someone rising out of the water, until a splash sounded and he was suddenly drenched. 

The merman had hoisted himself unto the rock next to Shinji and his tail was teasingly sweeping back and forth in the ocean. But in such a manner that Shinji was constantly bombarded with waves of water...

He glared as vehemently as he could while agitatedly pushing his wet hair back out of his face. The fish thing smiled friendly back.

“Shinji...” His head snapped up immediately. “Oh, how impolite, can I call you Shinji?” 

“How the...” He trailed off for a second when he had felt a hard little piece of something in his mouth and he spit it out in his bound hands, afraid it was actually his tooth. But it was just a piece of the black rock. It washed away in an instant when he was once again poured over with water. “...fuck do you know my name?” he growled between clenched teeth.

“Your military badge.” The merman said innocently.

As innocent as that thing could be, the thieving annoying...! 

“Is there anything that you haven’t stolen from me!!” 

“Your clothes.” it prompted delightfully with a bashful curl of that tail.

...Shinji actually looked down at himself to make sure, even though he had still been clothed just a second ago. But after all the freaky things happening, he wouldn’t be surprised... 

“You can call me Sousuke.”

Was the merman freaking serious? As if he wasn’t held captive by the strange creature... 

“I’m calling ya Ariel as long as ye don’t untie me!”

And dammit! The freaking cord didn’t give at all!! And it was so hot as well underneath the scalding sun, the water on his skin dried in an instant. He palmed his hand above his eyes to shield himself from those rays and maybe even find his escape in the far distance.

Unfortunately, sea as far as he could see. And unlike on his ship, he didn’t appreciate the sight one bit. Thus, jumping in the sea and flailing around would probably not be a good idea...

“What happened to my ship?!”

It pulled his long hair over one shoulder to once again rake its long nails through it. “I don’t know, what happened to your ship?”

The way it was blinking coyly at him didn’t fool Shinji one bit. “You’re the monster that pulled me down and destroyed my ship.”

It palmed his heart, if it even had one, and made a very convincing dismayed lip curl. “Now how would I destroy a ship? I don’t have any weapons, you humans are the ones who wreck havoc.”

Shinji wiped the sweat from his forehead, jeez... that tail splashing had been a great cool down actually. “Okay Ariel...” he muttered and jumped to one of the palm trees for some shade. His white shirt was clinging to him in the most uncomfortable way. The soggy fabric might be somewhat refreshing, but it was bugging the Hell out of him, so he struggled out of it. It was a pain to get it passed his head in his condition which had him flailing in the sand, with the sandpaper grains sticking to his sweaty skin. Ugh!! “Ye definitely... are the...creature...who tried to drown me!” 

When he finally won the fight with his shirt, the fabric was prevented from parting with him entirely due to his bound hands... He sighed exaggeratedly and looked at the merman. 

It feasted its intriguing purple eyes upon his naked chest with rapture.

The merman was topless as well anyways. The purplish scales started just beneath a set of dimpled hips.

Heh! “I know why ye’re so interested in humans, cuz I have a dick and ye don’t!”

It raised an unimpressed eyebrow. 

Heh! He snorted and grabbed one of the large leaves of the palm tree that had fallen down.

An SOS sign might do the trick!

Unfortunately there weren’t enough trees or leaves that he could reach in order to construct a visible signal. He could still wave one of the leaves around, along with his shirt that was stuck, if a helicopter or ship passed!

But when would that be?!!

Jumping back to his shade, he sagged back against the sturdy bark of the biggest palm tree. The merman was still watching him at that point.

“Seriously, ye have nothin’ better ta do?”

“I need to make sure that my human is taken care of.” Sousuke said with a frisky swish of his tail.

The droplets didn’t reach Shinji this time, but he did feel the slight breeze... For a moment the fleeting relief from the heat made him almost miss the possessive pronoun. “What?!! Your human?!”

It nodded.

Shinji practically delved into the white sand, on the lookout for the cooler grains underneath. And maybe to bury himself under a barrier so that thing couldn’t reach him. Not that it could walk anyways. Or at least...he didn’t think it could walk... “Okay, now you’ve gone completely cray cray! Listen, humans are no toys for fish, ‘right?” Pretty ironic actually because with the merman watching him like that, Shinji felt like he was the one stuck in a fish bowl...

Sousuke just smiled in that cocky manner...

Alright! Plenty of shade or not, he left his sand grave so he could switch his place to another palm tree. The sun’s rays could still reach him but if he dug himself in again, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Plus he didn’t have to look at the merman.

It was a little discomforting to turn his back to the creature, but seeing as he was still alive, it wouldn’t suddenly eat him or something...

He heard a splash and not a second later it hoisted himself up on one of the other rocks. He couldn’t escape it apparently because the whole fucking island was surrounded by those rocks...

Just great!

“Can ye walk?” Better to spruce up on some knowledge about the thing. “Can ye get out of the water?”

It stared silently back, fiddling with his hair.

Guess that meant a no. There was that at least. He was safe on land. He just needed to distract the creature so it didn’t get any ideas in his head, yeah, he could do that, someone had to pass by eventually... 

“Say Ariel, if ye don’t have a cock, what gender do you go by or what pronouns do ye use. If at all, cuz I’m clueless about ye sea creatures...”

Sousuke cocked his head to the side. “The same as you I would presume. I’m also a man and I do have a penis.”

He couldn’t help it that his eyes went straight to the thing’s pelvis, but there was nothing but scales... Yeah...so it was probably gender dysmorphic. Although since it believed in wacky ideals like owning humans, apparently, it was probably delusional instead.

Or maybe he himself was delusional?! Shinji pinched himself to make sure but yeah it still hurt, this was as real as it could get... 

He was about to entertain it with the idea of, ‘I’ll show ye mine, if you show me yours’ but then the whole ownership thing was still fresh in his mind and he somehow drove it to the back of his mind. 

Nothing to do but wait then...

And it just kept sitting there, keeping guard, which was frustrating as all heck. He couldn’t possibly sleep with that thing practically breathing into his face... Besides as hot as it was during the day, it got freezing during the night!

He had tried to get back into his shirt, but the ripped threads in his uniform had only gotten larger due to his struggles so it was no use to wear it all anymore... Huddling into himself, he tried to transform some body heat from his hands to his freezing feet.

Making fire was just as useless, because what the hell could he use? The rocks were no flint as far as he could tell...

But then he heard some crackling and felt literally some much needed heat. Turning around he could see a decent fire burning near the rock that the fish still inhabited. It had made fire?! From what?!!

Sousuke smiled and flicked his long hair back over his shoulder. “You must be cold.”

No shit...

But that would mean he would have to come closer, real close... While from what he understood, he seemed pretty safe so out of reach.

Stubbornly turning back around, he ignored the cozy fire, the flames were palpable from his spot anyways. Which he endured for about five minutes before he shuffled over. Just so he could warm up properly. He was pretty wary of that frisky tail dousing the fire just to fuck with him. But it was just leisurely swirling in the ocean. 

The glow from the fire illuminated Sousuke’s face nicely. The merman was easy on the eyes, alright, he could have had it worse. It had really smooth skin and those eyes were exotic! Not exactly an eye colour he had encountered before, but somehow that face seemed familiar, even though Shinji couldn’t come up with any human resemblance. 

Strange.

Besides as pretty as it might be, it was fucking psychotic to keep him captured on an island!

Maybe the familiarity made him sympathise with it?

Yeah, that must be it!

The fire crackled again and it gave off one of those spitfires that nearly burned his foot, too close apparently. The fire was magically contained, there were no rocks around it or anything that preserved the flames within the invisible circle and yet...

Not that he minded, the warmth and the visibility to any patrolling ships was a plus! And the opportunity it gave of course!... 

“Could ye turn around I need to take a piss.”

When those purple eyes kept watching him, Shinji stood up and fiddled with his pants, “I forgot yer so fascinated by my dick...” and by some miracle Sousuke allowed him some modesty and turned away. 

Good! Shinji immediately pushed the cords into the flames, yet it didn’t burn! The only thing that burned was his shirt and his skin!! 

Digging his wrists into the sand on the search for some relief, he hadn’t noticed the merman turning back his way. But he did feel the gigantic wave of water that washed over him...

The fire was still burning...so it had to be some freaky fish magic by the fishstick... At least he could warm back up...

He glared at the coy smile and that frustrating witty remark of, “You got burned...” 

Shinji flopped back unto the sand and tried to close his eyes. Maybe it was all a nightmare and it would all go away come tomorrow.

Yet it didn’t... 

He was still fastened by the cords, he was still on the island, and the fish was also still there...

When his stomach rumbled he shuffled over to one of the stony edges, trying to see if he could find any fish swimming the surface... Even then, he probably had to make some sort of spear. A piece of one of the branches of the palm tree could serve as a fishing equipment after some tweaking. The rocks certainly were sharp enough to sharpen wood...

Oh! And he could use it as a weapon!

He recoiled back when Sousuke swam to the surface from within the deep depths of the water. So close they would have kissed if he hadn’t drawn back. The glorious smile he was met with only made Shinji swipe some sand in the bastard’s face. It scrunched up it’s face, so aha! it did have a weakness. But then Sousuke did some crazy backflip and Shinji saw the wave created by that majestic tail, but he was too late to outrun it and of course he ended up drenched, again.

He then focused on creating his spear, so he didn’t have to look at Sousuke’s smug mug!

And for once his idea turned out to be fruitful. Well as far as making the spear...

Catching fish on the other hand...

Bending over the edge of the island was rather scary, it wasn’t a beach that went from shallow water to deep depths, no it was straight up ocean. So he had to jump in, which would make him eligible for that creature... 

He glanced at Sousuke who was practically hovering in the water, watching his futile attempts at fishing... 

“Say Ariel, swim a couple of feet away so I can have mah personal space in the water as well.”

“You’re welcome to join my personal space.”

He made a face and averted his gaze.

Was there any other way to fish? He cursed, he shouldn’t have let his whole shirt go up in flames... he could have used it as a net to catch fish instead... And he sure as hell wasn’t gonna use his pants and walk around in his boxers... 

He looked back at Sousuke who had swam a few feet away... Okay, this was it, if the creature tried anything, at least he would have his spear... 

Taking his chance he took a leap. The sun had been heating his body like an oven again, but the water had been ice cold! He had to swim around for a while so his limbs wouldn’t freeze up in a cramp. Yet with his bound hands, he was actually flailing around like Nemo instead of doing anything that remotely looked like swimming...

It was also funny to the merman judging by Sousuke’s chuckles. 

“What are ye laughing at?!!” he yelled.

“You humans are so bad at swimming.” it observed in another chuckle while showing off its own smooth moves by gliding a little closer. 

“No wonder if ye tie everyone up!!!” he grumbled back. “Wait!!” he positioned the spear threateningly when it still drifted closer. “Did ye capture other humans?!!” And where were they?!!!

Sousuke feigned the fact that he was just going for a rest on the rock when it hoisted itself up... “Just an observation...” 

Yeah right, something smelled fishy... “‘right Ariel...”

The adrenaline he had felt when Sousuke had tried to inch closer had sufficiently warmed him though. So he ducked under water to catch his meal.

What was odd was that the rocks continued down into the water, forming a huge foundation underneath the island. Covered with colourful coral reef and slimy apparently when his foot touched it. Wasn’t it supposed to be stony, the same sort of texture as the rocks?...

Strange... but he was here to fish! Going back up for a good gulp of fresh air, he dived back down.

Plenty of different fish species to chose from, but all as fast as the speed of light! The disability of not being able to breath under water and the stupid cords hindered him. He also had to go back up frequently and his splashing around scared all the fish away...

Sighing in pure frustration he swam back to one of the rocks to hoist himself up. The exhaustion had him flopping graciously into the sand. It didn’t even matter that the sand would stick to his skin...

That was it, he wouldn’t die because of the creature, but of starvation. 

The crackling of fire resounded through the air again, but it was hot enough so he remained on his back until he heard Sousuke whistling. Glancing up and back he saw the creature holding a couple of fish? 

It was providing for him now?

Just like with the campfire Shinji wanted to stubbornly deny that generosity...but his stomach was beginning to hurt... 


	4. Enthralling Melodies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: **Warning?** Creature...ish porn, I mean what did you expect, it’s a humanXmerman fic. Although let’s be honest here, no one reading this is expecting Aizen’s human form. 

**Chapter four: Enthralling Melodies**

The creature did an oddly good job of providing for Shinji. It gave him food, warmth, water that was procured out of seemingly nowhere and wasn’t salty. And most importantly: privacy whenever Shinji did actually need to relieve himself. Digging a ditch in the white sandy beach was already embarrassing enough, so he was glad the thing understood that.

And his wrists and ankles were becoming numb. His blood must have been cut off to the point where he just didn’t notice the cords anymore. Which was a scary thought. Yet when he checked, his skin actually seemed pretty normal. Not even a discolouration from where the cord was digging in...

Another one of those magical happenings?

All in all he was fairly comfortable on his lone island. Or he was becoming crazy and his brain was sinking into Stockholm syndrome mode... 

It had been days now and still no sign of life, except the merman. So yeah he was latching on to the only social contact he had, could anyone blame him?!

“Say Ariel, how long does it take before a boat or an airplane or some form of living life passes by?”

Sousuke was also becoming immensely more attractive in his eyes. He noticed little gestures, like the way Sousuke squirmed slightly on the rock, head tilted flirtatiously, so all that hair fell over one shoulder. “None. Which makes you rather special. You see, I haven’t encountered any life, but you.”

That long brunet hair was always kept in an immaculately straight style, even when it dried. While Shinji’s own locks were beginning to frizz from the sun and the salty water...

“Ye kiddin’ me...” Was he seriously doomed?!! “And ye can’t like scour the seas on the lookout for some life. You know, for me?” he tried that manipulative twist that the fish thing always did. 

And the smile he received full of mirth bespoke of the creature knowing exactly what Shinji was trying to do.

It pushed some of its hair back over his shoulder and the end of that mesmerising tail teasingly swept out of the water. Which had Shinji taking a step back, just in case it doused him again. Sousuke cast his eyes downward, “I could.” before looking him straight in the eyes. Gosh that purple colour was just as bewitching... “but, what would you give me in return?”

A this for that huh? After all the freaking things Sousuke stole from him!!!

“So you want to trade... What would you want?” Shinji questioned suspiciously. Was there still anything on his person that the thing could steal from him? 

Those enthralling purple eyes swept over his body and it gave Shinji a pleasurable shiver down his spine.

Besides his clothes apparently...

“I want you...” it curled one of those long nails to make a come hither motion. Man, those words were enough of a promise to keep him back. Yet his feet almost jumped on their own, lured in by a crooning melody that came from nowhere. Shinji’s head snapped from right to left, trying to locate the sweet tunes...but... he couldn’t find them.

Yeah that happened more often as well!!

And when he looked back in front of him, the creature was sitting perhaps just out of hand reach? He tried to recoil back, because too close!! His spear was still lying somewhere in the middle of the island, when he stumbled backwards over an invisible obstacle.

What was this trickery?!!

The creature’s palm encircled his ankle which had Shinji practically kicking out. Even though the receptors in his brain, responsible for feeling heat, were lulled into a serene state just by the feeling of that warm palm.

All he could think was, the hand wasn’t slimy or wet???

He was pulled by his leg, made to practically sit crosslegged in front of the rock that the creature inhabited. His struggles in the sand had just been useless and only dug him further into the ground so the merman was looming over him. 

Wait?! He sat crosslegged? The cords around his ankles were gone?!!!

He looked down at his legs, pawing at his own ankles at the fantom feeling of the cords... But they were gone! 

Glancing back up at the creature, Sousuke smiled coyly back. “I want you to call me Sousuke from now on.” 

“Wha’?” he blurted out unintelligently. “‘kay, yeah, I’ll do that Ariel,” The tail swished agitatedly. “after you go out and look for a boat, a ship, anything really. Else ye gonna stay Ariel in my eyes.” The creature wanted a this for that, he would get one. Simple as that.

And no amount of ocean showers was gonna change his mind!

The merman could still see the mirth in the situation, since Sousuke’s tail folded back into the water and with an amusing spark in its eyes, the merman slipped into the ocean and glided out into the far distance.

Shinji kept watching it until the body of the merman was out of sight, before his senses seemingly kicked back in and he furiously tried to climb one of the trees to get more leaves for his SOS signal. Now that he had back full mobility in his legs, he could maybe try for another escape.

Because without Sousuke by his side, he just had that drive inside of him that told him to flee! He didn’t know where that urgency came from, but it just urged him to get away! 

But his bound hands were still a liability! It still hindered him, yeah his thighs could squeeze around the bark of the palm tree to get a grip, but when he couldn’t get that same grip with his arms, he just awkwardly slid back down.

Dammit!!! He needed something!! Maybe another spear?!

He was sharpening another, thicker and sturdier weapon, when he heard that familiar sound of someone rousing out of the water.

And just like that, the urgency also drew out of him... It was like he was suddenly surrounded by a false sense of security. He felt...safe? It felt kind of woozy in his mind.

“And?” But he did remember why he sent the merman out.

“Unfortunately no people as far as I can see.” it said sympathetically. 

Well then the creature should keep on swimming until he found someone... 

Yet the statement couldn’t even instil disappointment in Shinji...

Sousuke inclined at the spear he was sharpening.

“...I gotta ‘ave some stock...ye know when the other one breaks...” he responded after raking his brain for a possible means for his second weapon. 

“I can teach you how to catch fish now that you can properly swim again.” Sousuke offered with a suggestive sweep of that tail. 

He still couldn’t use his arms fully...

“I don’t thin’ so Ariel, I don’t have gills or fins, just so ye know.”

A splash into the water resounded and Shinji was waiting on Sousuke popping up on one of his neighbouring rocks, when Sousuke actually invaded the rock that Shinji was using as a sharpener.

“You promised.” it said with a sultry pout.

The purple scales shone wetly in the sun, making Shinji almost feel an indirect slimy sensation. He couldn’t help his eyes from wandering over the bluish-purple overlapping plates so up close. Before he caught himself and he looked into the thing’s eyes, he could smell the other’s breath, which wasn’t fishy, it actually smelled like a salty sea breeze.

Or those were just the surroundings...

“I didn’t promise anythin’ like that.” 

“You promised to call me Sousuke.”

Ah he did, didn’t he...

He couldn’t help the snort that broke free. “Ari-” Yet Sousuke’s enthralling eyes made Shinji trail off into a big grin. “‘right...Sousuke.” 

Then again, maybe if he received more of the creature’s trust, Sousuke would willingly free his wrists as well...

“Show me how ye master the sea!” he relented and used the rock next to Sousuke as a stepping stone, so he could dive right into the ocean.

Sousuke swooped right into his personal space, which didn’t bother Shinji as much anymore. They could swim together, ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. Besides, Sousuke looked even more mesmerising under water than he did above... So it was kind of a win win situation. He could stare without being noticed as Sousuke did some fanciful tricks with that agile body and because of their ‘bonding’ time he could lessen the skepticism. 

The swift motions of that tail was just...whimsical. It was a definite purple colour under water, not even a speck of blue to be found... His observation almost made Shinji miss the return of that melody. It sounded very echoey, as if it came from the recess of his mind... He was then aware of Sousuke urging a school of Herrings into his direction.

Shinji caught one of the speedy fish easily, just because a whole nest of it was lured towards him. But the slippery mess squirmed out of his hand just as quickly... 

Sousuke hovered in front of him, long hair framing that beautiful face like a voluminous halo. Though the merman was laughing at his foolish blunder.

And Shinji had snorted a laugh of his own, until the water forcefully invaded his nose...

Of course, he still had no gills!

He swam back up to practically blow out all of the excess water.

“Perhaps we should begin with teaching you how to hold your breath.”

Okay yeah, that was actually a thing, if he was preparing to freedive...

But did he really have anything else to do? Plus the creature could gain some confidence in their trust...

Nice!

And it was somewhat needed to be honest. Shinji could approximately hold his breath for 45 seconds, which was pitiful in the creature’s eyes. And after ten minutes of constant returning to the surface levels and going back down to try and elongate his time under the sea, his 45 seconds had dwindled to 40 seconds...

“I have no freakin’ gills!” he griped back while prodding the beginning of Sousuke’s scales, just underneath his left hip dip. Shinji had actually just randomly poked the creature, not entirely sure where Sousuke’s gills were even located...

But the texture kind of surprised him, it wasn’t slimy at all! Going for a full on rub, it felt really smooth...

He startled when something snaked around his legs. Sousuke’s tail curled around him. Was Sousuke like embracing him? Because they were certainly so close they could...kiss? At Sousuke’s incoming lips, Shinji pushed back against Sousuke’s shoulders. 

Struggling out of that grip, Shinji was afraid that tail would start constricting, kind of like a snake, but Sousuke allowed him free rein instead. 

Sousuke was still smiling, albeit those lips had crooked downwards.

This was beginning to evolve into monster porn and Shinji wasn’t sure if he was ready to dabble into that...

Hoisting himself back out of the water, his pants had forsaken their clinging stickiness to practically slip down his hips. The weight of the water had probably tugged at his waistband one time too many and it had given up. Well it was about time that he washed it and let it dry... 

Which would leave him in his boxers. His tight white shorts that blatantly outlined his dick... Shinji reached inside to adjust himself. Just so the length of it was less noticeable. The creature was thirsty already as it was... 

He wanted to avoid any sort of lecherous grin so he strategically locked his eyes on that tail. Which had an iridescent shimmer straight under the sun and it had returned to its bluish-purple colour. 

Sousuke was sitting next to him, and while still close, they were at least seated on a different rock.

“Do you do that deliberately?” he dared a glance at Sousuke, who was fiddling with the ends of his long hair. “Change the colour of yer tail I mean.”

“No, I hatched with those colours.”

“Ha...hatched?” Like a chicken?! He fully locked his gaze with Sousuke’s to make sure he had heard that correctly. Made sense it was a creature, but mermen came out of freakin’ eggs?!!! “It’s pretty.” he admitted with a gesture at the tail. Because it was.

Those intriguing eyes peered practically into his soul while a bashful smile took over on that ever mischievous face. The tail also elongated into Shinji’s reach to end up on his lap. It was kind of hefty. “You’re welcome to touch me again.” 

Ah jeez... that innuendo alone.

Where were Sousuke’s...fishy parts...anyways. He didn’t want to touch anything inappropriate...

So he tentatively caressed one of the large fins, where the scales had ended, which made Sousuke pout in disappointment? 

He understood why the tail was heavy, it was kind of muscly? At least he could feel some type of tissue responding to his petting. Oh no, it was actually feeling him up...

Shinji could feel it moving against his crotch!

Which had him hurriedly shoving the tail out of his lap so he could move back on the island, out of reach! Because he definitely wanted to forget the responding tingle in his balls!

Luckily Sousuke had also disappeared into the ocean. 

\----

During their routinely evening campfire, after dinner, Shinji had long since forgotten the awkwardness. He was still seated crosslegged on the sand instead of on a rock, but it was next to Sousuke though.

His belly full and some type of ale to drink, procured out of nowhere, he was kind of becoming used to his enforced vacation. It was relaxing, if anything!

When his cup refilled, Shinji tried to move it in all directions to deny, but it was not like the magic stream of alcohol came out of an invisible barrel. The cup he was drinking out though, was some type of gold metallic age old drinking vessel that looked like it had been stolen straight out of a treasure chest.

“Ey! Are ye tryin’ ta get me drunk?!” he snapped at Sousuke, who’s face was downturned but those eyes maintained eye contact at all times. And yet in the glow of the fire, Sousuke’s coquettish smile made Shinji feel all flustered. Those features were so warm due to the burning flames. Or at least it made Shinji feel...hot.

Or maybe that was the drink. 

“You humans love alcohol, no?”

“Some of us do, but jeez I’m no bloody pirate!” Sousuke’s lips curled into a sneaky grin. The freaking pirate!! It was like it suddenly dawned on Shinji. “There was this pirate! On Visored, we fished him out of the sea and he blabbered on and on about a merman.” He looked around on the island, expecting the pirate to appear any moment now. While he didn’t really get a description of the Den of the Siren, this certainly felt like it. “Did you take...Kyouraku... here?” he didn’t know why he asked. The chance that he would get an honest answer was probably nil. But maybe Sousuke’s expression would betray him.

But that face was placidly gentle, not even an emotive muscle moved out of place. “I have seen no pirate. You’re my only human.”

Yeah...

He would have seen Kyouraku by now if that was the case. What else could have happened to the pirate?

He probably went down with Visored...

But how did Kyouraku escape the Den, why hadn’t he asked the bloody pirate?!! He had deemed it as a fuckin’ fantasy and look at him now... 

The leisure wading of Sousuke’s tail in the ocean had Shinji subtly drawing his spear in with his left foot.

“If you worry that much about your pirate I can always ask my colony of Merpeople if they have him. Or had him...” 

It was not his pirate! Pirates were looting sea plunderers that Visored took care off to ensure serenity on the waters.

“You have a colony of people?” Oh great more of such creatures...

“I didn’t create the egg I hatched from.” Sousuke chuckled. 

Yeah that...who came first? The chicken or the egg? 

But if there were more of Sousuke around, then these waters were freakin’ cursed. He was gonna have to warn any ship from straying into this territory, if he ever escaped that was...

The music sounded again and it lulled him back into a comfortable haze so he could enjoy his drink again without any worries plaguing him. His heel that had tried to draw his spear in, simply shoved it aside with a nudge.

There was no threat, all was good. 

Well except maybe Sousuke. Sousuke leaning into his space, made Shinji initially recoil back a bit until it became clear that Sousuke was fiddling with his cords. When Shinji’s wrists snapped free, he smiled widely and gave a nod of gratitude. 

Even though this should have been standard civilised behaviour.

Yet Sousuke didn’t draw back...

“I feel an overwhelming urge to kiss you.” Sousuke blurted out, along with one of those frisky tail swings. 

Was that a this for that again? Because then maybe Shinji would like his wrists to remain fastened.

Although, it certainly made Shinji feel better that he wasn’t the only one feeling this weird attraction, but... a kiss with a creature? Sure Sousuke’s upper half was all human, so it normally shouldn’t be that different.

And really a kiss was a kiss. He couldn’t help that he couldn’t rein in on his own curiosity anymore. What was more innocent than a little peck anyways?

“‘kay.” He decided. And then he leaned into Sousuke, anticipating the secretive long awaited connection of their lips. Sousuke’s palm came to rest on his shoulder, before the innocent peck. 

Those lips were soft and pliant, just like any human’s lips actually. Maybe even softer, since Shinji had had that one boyfriend whose lips always brittled...

Anyways, the point was that the kiss wasn’t any different from a regular kiss. It felt normal and it felt nice. But it also nurtured his curiosity to dive in and have a taste.

He carefully tried to encourage Sousuke’s lips to give, trying to discern if the merman even knew what Shinji was trying to do. But Sousuke allowed him entry easily.

And even a kiss with the added tongue, felt no different.

The muscle responding against his own tongue was just as eager to explore. It just as much sent heat down into Shinji’s loins, especially when the palm on his shoulder squeezed so delightfully. Repositioning himself on his knees, Shinji let his own hand grasp the side of Sousuke’s neck so he could tilt the merman’s head for an even deeper experience.

His breathing exercises could definitely come in handy in this regard, since he had to part way too soon. The red tint on Sousuke’s cheeks was the only feature that betrayed the impact of their kiss, while Shinji was slightly out of breath.

When Sousuke leaned back, away from him, Shinji was still grasping a couple of those long strands. Which he let slip from his fingers. 

Man, that was...something.

He lunged for the merman, ready for another dive, before his mind could catch up again. Sousuke was still sitting on his rock, tail resting in the water, so Shinji’s hands kind of took support on those scales. Minutely forgetting that he wasn’t leaning over human thighs. The slightly cool texture was no more than a refreshment to his heated head. Those unnatural eyes should definitely remind him, yet he wasn’t exactly peering into Sousuke’s enchanting purple.

His eyes were closed, savouring the sweet pleasurable zings that went through his body. Sousuke’s long nails trailing down his ribs were toe curling rapture. Literally, as Shinji dug his toes in the sand.

He tried to pull Sousuke closer, unto his knees, when all of a sudden the merman scrambled at the rocky surface. “No, I...need to stay in the water.”

Right...

“If ye had legs though, I bet ye they would ‘ave be sexy.”

Sousuke chuckled while the red tint across those cheeks darkened. “Well, you might not have a tail, but you can come with me in the water.” Sousuke had tugged at the waistband of his boxers, before letting them spring back, which had Shinji groaning. 

The agile body then disappeared into the water and that forced Shinji to peer over the rocks to catch a glimpse of Sousuke.

“Yeah...I don’t know if I wanna take it that far...” The whole creature-human thing kind of paralysed his desires. “This all seems so crazy, ye know, like this shouldn’t be real.”

“Well, if it is not real, then you shouldn’t feel bad about abandoning your human principles, you can simply adhere to your fantasy.” Sousuke crooked his finger and urged him in, along with that tail that elongated into the water before curling back as if to wave him over as well... 

True though... But fantasies shouldn’t always be acted upon. The thing was their bodies...

And as if Sousuke could read his mind, the merman shushed him with some very convincing words, “You will find that my anatomy doesn’t differ that much from your own.” 

Now that kind of did turn the wind. If anything, that certainly had him wanting to find an answer to another pressing detail. “‘right, I’ll show ye mine if ye show me yours, Sousuke.”

“Show you what?”

Yeah, that was...probably only a human sayin’... Shinji folded his hands on top of the rock, “Yer dick!” waiting.

But Sousuke shook his head. “Only if you join me in the water...”

It was probably embarrassed or something... 

“Fine, have it yer way then!” Jumping up, Shinji confidently shimmied out of his boxers. The tight shorts had been getting uncomfortable anyways. And while not completely hard, his dick jumped forth, blushing a dark pink. Which was a stark contrast to his light coloured skin. He shook his hips to make it proudly wave back, while Sousuke was chuckling like a damn schoolgirl. “Now it’s yer turn.” 

“Come.” Sousuke patted the water which made a splashing sound that definitely shouldn’t have had Shinji’s dick reacting, but hey, the creature was damn good at creating sexual tension. 

At that rate, they would get nowhere...

He then leaped into the water, because if he had to wait on Sousuke to return the favour...

But, the freezing water shrivelled his hardened desires! “Who the Hell gets it on in the freakin’ ocean!!!” he yelled. He could use his hands and feet freely to swim now, yet the shocking cold had him still flailing clumsily around.

Until Sousuke backed him up against the rock that continued beneath the waters. It suddenly became a lot warmer, like he was caught in a cosy current. “Ye didn’t piss in the water, did ya?” he asked suspiciously. 

The rocky surface was covered in that slimy coral substance, but leaning against it as he was, it felt like a bed of soft moss. Except his head, which was above water, there, the rock was still as hard as before.

“You need to stop thinking so hard.” Sousuke had barricaded any escape with his arms, on either side of Shinji’s head.

“That’s a good one, it was hard, but the freakin’ cold had me shrive-” he trailed off in a spastic jump as one of Sousuke’s palms had went down to cup him.

“I can rectify that.”

Oh! Yeah, that was definitely rectifying it... His dick certainly accepted that warm palm. One of Shinji’s own hands was then guided beneath the water to grasp at... well, it was fleshy, definitely, a little slippery and it had more of a dent, than a normal cock. Which kind of screwed up his jerking motions.

But he was doing something right, since Sousuke’s face had disappeared in the crook of Shinji’s neck.

At the base of the creature’s cock, he could feel those scales. Oh, so it propelled out when aroused, kind of like an ejection seat?...

He didn’t continue breaking his mind over it and just allowed himself to feel. Like the way Sousuke was sucking on his neck. It had eagerly latched unto his skin, fully intending to leave some evidence before soothing the hickeys with a writhing tongue that nursed Shinji’s hardening desires.

Damn! To have that suction on his dick...

Sousuke seemed to have succeeded on a few marks, since Shinji could feel the ache of hickeys along his neck.

Palming the back of Sousuke’s head, Shinji let his other hand disappear in all that hair, urging Sousuke’s lips back to his own. “Are all ye mermen so eager to mark people?”

It smiled that sneaky smile, before Shinji drew those lips in for another kiss.

Man, this was insane. He was really about to get it on with a creature that he had seemingly conjured up from his fantasies. But it was a hot creature that was persuasively good at getting him going, so that totally was all the encouragement he needed.

Tearing away from those ocean salty lips, he whispered hotly, “What colour is it anyways?” it wasn’t everyday that he encountered mermen genitalia. He gave the oddly dented shape a deliberate squeeze. 

Sousuke drew back, practically floating on his back, before letting his hips rise up, just enough above the surface so the base full of scales was still submerged. It wasn’t phallic with those crooked curves which would make blowjobs a tad bit harder. And it was a dark purple colour. But the tip, resembled any normal cock-head.

He couldn’t see any balls though. 

The gentle waves kind of drifted Sousuke away, so Shinji let his hands grab unto Sousuke, under that crotch region. Only to end up palming his right hip, so Shinji would have been holding Sousuke bridal style.

He had unintentionally pushed into one of those scales underneath, which had Sousuke suddenly reactive and squirmy.

Shinji couldn’t even lick tentatively at the tip of Sousuke’s oddly shaped thing when the merman squirmed right out of his hands and pushed him back against the rocks.

“I am going to make **you** feel good.” it said in a deep croon. 

“Oh wait!” he pushed back against Sousuke, in vain because that body was full of unimaginable strength. “I don’ want that oddly lightnin’ bolt thin’ to go anywhere near my ass!” Concerns like, ‘It wouldn’t fit’ and ‘It’s gonna hurt’ would make him seem like a virgin, but he didn’t care, for real, that **thing** was not normal. 

“I want yours.” That response had Shinji stilling in anticipation. “I want to feel you in my mouth, I want you to mark me inside.” And that only made it better. Which man didn’t want their dick to be worshiped? 

Shinji’s left hand was guided to Sousuke’s backside, where he encountered that inwards slope again. His fingers were almost easily slurped into a very slippery channel... Oh! That must have been the merman’s ass?

He was tentatively fingering it, afraid it had teeth that would chew him up. But the hole was functioning as any lewd entrance. It was surrounded by scales again, but the channel itself was so smooth and had a vacuumed suction.

Curious, Shinji wanted to inspect it as much as he did with the merman’s cock, but Sousuke disappeared suddenly underneath the water. And so did the wonderful heat around his fingers.

No matter, ‘cuz Shinji’s dick was suddenly swallowed. It fucked with his head though, an under water blowjob... The ocean was already wet and warm, but inside Sousuke’s mouth... Oomph! He trailed off in a curse. 

Failing to keep himself afloat, he took support on Sousuke’s shoulders, which kind of only drove his dick deeper into that guttural clench. While Sousuke’s palms had encircled Shinji’s hips. Those nails were digging into his skin with each downwards bob. Yet Shinji could forget the slight burn it caused since the pleasure peaked by far.

A skilful tongue swirling around a sensitive part had Shinji unconsciously trying to rut his hips, but the tight embrace wouldn’t let him. It was also a damn shame that he couldn’t see his dick disappear in between those lips. That, would have been quite the sight.

It was enough to fuel his imagination though and he grabbed a fistful of that long hair to get some sort of rein over those motions. Not that Sousuke needed that much correction in the first place. No teeth and all the way to the base, could Shinji have gotten it any better?

He tried to guide Sousuke’s head back up. Gently at first, but the merman was desperate to keep a hold of him, since it latched unto his dick again. Throbbing vibrations even went through his need that had Shinji barely holding back from coming, what was that trickery?

He was thorn between pulling harder on Sousuke’s hair and shoving his dick deeper. Then again, he was also curious about that hole. 

The constant stream of warm water had them floating a tad bit from the rocky surface, which was the perfect chance Shinji needed to dive down as well. He managed to pull Sousuke’s head up and Shinji connected their lips underneath the water. Which turned into a heated liplock the second they resurfaced.

The salty taste on those lips had increased.

Sousuke’s cheeks were reddened prettily and those eyes were darkened with desire. Shinji could honestly drown in those purple orbs... 

But first, “I wanna see that ass of yours.” he took advantage of Sousuke’s slightly confused glance and pushed the merman face first into the rock. He then pulled on those hips, hoisting that backside out of the water while pushing that tail down, unwittingly pressed up against Shinji’s dick. At the ensuing weird pressure of those muscles, Shinji sought relief by humping against it. Al the while Sousuke scrambled at the rock for purchase. The startled gasps were freakin’ music to his ears. 

He had one arm on Sousuke’s back so Sousuke serviced simultaneously as a sort of floaty and a specimen Shinji needed to inspect thoroughly.

It had the shape of an ass, at least he could see the curves of buttocks through the scales, yet there was no cleft or actual skin that resembled an ass. Unless one specifically looked at it, trying to make something out of it like Shinji was. But there was that hole. Opened and producing slick? Was it even an ass then? There was no other hole as far as he could see...

Who cared, as long as it milked his dick.

Shinji fingered the rim and had to squeeze his balls at the downright lewd moan that came out of Sousuke. Sinking his fingers in, the velvety dark purple walls clung to him, urging him further inside. He didn’t necessarily need to urge it wider, since it gave with ease. But the noises erupting from Sousuke had Shinji eager to play further with it.

The tail against Shinji’s front released a bit more pressure, pushing Shinji away and his fingers out. “Enough, I want you.” Sousuke was gasping against his palm that was seemingly holding himself up against the rock. Even though Sousuke could float into the water without any support...

It was a sexy sight though! 

Shinji tried to grab at those hips again, eager to get that ass back into the water, but the tail hindered him again.

Sousuke then glided towards Shinji, seating himself quite literally on his dick. Sousuke was sitting on him sideways with that tail wrapped around Shinji’s right thigh which ended up just under his ass. So Shinji was forced into a seated position. 

He could just barely keep his chin above water levels...which had him embracing Sousuke, clinging to that sinewy back to try and remain afloat.

Sousuke could easily drag him down into the ocean’s depths and drown him...

It would have all been alarming, if his dick wasn’t smothered by an incredibly warm hole. It was maybe the oddest riding position he had ever engaged in, yet Sousuke was bouncing perfectly. Arms encircled Shinji’s neck and having that gorgeous creature crooning into his face diminished the panic. 

Because those mesmerising eyes radiated adoration. And of course desire. He closed the last of space between their lips, capturing Sousuke’s next moan with his mouth.

The tail contracted rhythmically to Sousuke’s up and down movements, grasping Shinji tighter like that velvet channel, before letting up. Like a pleasurable throb. And being constantly encased, it stirred Shinji faster to release than he had wanted.

He directed his grip lower, around a narrow waist, trying to speed up those motions into an erratic state. Because it was building up. The muffled whimpers against his lips were just egging him on... 

With all the strength Shinji could muster up in his hazy arousal, he anchored Sousuke to a grinding still, before it all exploded before his eyes. He shuddered while the ecstasy of his jerky spurts were milked by that hot hole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Why yes I had to do research on reproductive organs of a fish... I decided to inspire myself on the ones of a reptile instead, for...plot reasons! Sousuke did come out of an egg! 
> 
> And for plot reasons I also couldn’t have Aizen turning into his human form, that would have kind of waken up Shinji from his fuzzy bubble. 


	5. Down under

**Chapter five: Down under**

Shinji was living the dream, Chrysalis Cove had it all. Sousuke serviced him in every sense of the way: food was freshly caught and magically prepared. And with all the drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, he might as well have dropped into a five star hotel, except it was an island. 

And then he wasn’t even talking about the sex yet. Sousuke was always ready, ready to take it, ready to please him... In short, the perfect wife...man...merman. Which sane bloke would try to escape that fantasy?! 

Not that he entirely depended on Sousuke either! Shinji had taken initiative to start catching fish on his own. Practice made perfect, he had all of the time in the world anyways. Plus he kind of wanted to surprise Sousuke with a self caught meal and then hand it over, kind of like a thank you for everythin’.

And as he was trying to impress the merman, show off his self-sufficiency, he dived after one of those pretty colourful fish with lots of prickly fins, that he had seen Sousuke devour. The kind that was probably poisonous to his human self.

That Sousuke ate fish blew his mind, that was some cannibalistic shit, yet he decided not to dwell on it. Dolphins ate fish and those were some majestic creatures. So as long as Sousuke didn’t start to consume humans, he was pretty safe.

Fishing remained a feat though, even if he was completely mobile. The exotic fish was a nimble thing that took brisk and sharp turns, avoiding the threat of his spear at the last second, almost as if it was tauntin’ him... 

Yet Shinji didn’t give up that easy, days, weeks? had passed, -who honestly kept count on such a paradise?- and the ability to hold his breath for a longer period of time underwater came in handy.

He also dared to dive deeper, further into the ocean’s depths, so even if the fish sped into the darker areas, Shinji swam courageously after it. He managed to back it up in a dented part of the rocky surface, before he speared it. Or he thought he had, the exotic fish had wriggled itself into the coral and when Shinji plucked the slimy stuff off, he was faced with a crevice the fish had to have disappeared into. 

And when he peered through it, it seemed like the rocky surface housed an alcove of some sort. At least that was where the cove from Chrysalis Cove came from... 

It was rather dark inside though, dusk had caught up, and it was noticeable in the ocean as well. 

He was about to swim back up, breathing became a necessity again, when his ankle got snared into something metallic. He could detangle himself easily from it, but he grasped it in hand, taking it back up with him. 

It was a necklace, the heart pendant that the pirate had had on him, Shinji recognised the picture in it.

If the debris of the ship had reached his mystery island, maybe there was more treasure down there, he could honestly do with a change of clothes... He was now skinny dipping seeing as he had to have no fear of the creature’s lustful glances, so his boxers were washed out and drying. But he didn’t want to be naked forever.

In this ideal paradise, a sense of normalcy would be nice though. 

Anyways, he had to dive back down during daylight. Who knew what he could find there.

He hid away the necklace in one of the palm tree leaves that he had laying around. Maybe if he ever saw the pirate again, he could give it back. 

Shinji then dove back into the water, ready to make do on his promise of surprising Sousuke.

Which he did, kind of. The fish was a teeny tiny thing, smaller than an average anchovy... And it took way too long to catch the damn thing.

Sousuke had already arrived back from searching the sea. The teeny tiny fish that Shinji caught immediately paled in comparison to the gigantic crab that Sousuke carried with him. 

“Oh crap...”

“It is the thought that counts, Shinji.” Sousuke crooned sympathetically. The tiny fish was gone in a single bite, it probably hardly fitted as an appetiser.

It was slightly discouraging. 

Same with all the seafood... if he really thought about it, there were definitely some things that started bothering him on paradise island. Even with all the variety, like squid, lobster, clams,... it was all very fishy.

What he wouldn’t do for a simple meal like rice with pork... substantial and fulfilling. He involuntarily shivered at the thought. Damn, that had been a long time.

Social life was another issue that caught up to him. As much as Sousuke was wonderful in every sense of the word, Shinji longed for his comrades of Visored. He could do without the deployments, but the companionship and atmosphere was unlike anything else. Hell, someone real to talk to, about real life problems, was irreplaceable. 

He never thought he would start to miss that.

And the more he thought about those things, the more he sunk into a current of homesickness. 

The sloshing of the waves against the rocks had been soothing, but he was starting to resent the white noise and yearn for the cacophony of city sounds. Or his music... he missed the rhythms of jazz!

There was the melody, yeah, but all it did was chase away his sanity, or so it seemed. He definitely wouldn’t actively listen to it. 

Who knew that even paradise could turn out mundane...

He sighed wishfully and unwittingly allowed Sousuke’s tail to land on his lap. The muscles nudged him with those smooth scales. 

“Don’t give me that face.” Sousuke stroked his cheek.

Shinji tried his toothed grin, but it fell crooked. He didn’t want to be a downer, just seeing those beautiful eyes laced with worry, had him trailing Sousuke’s scales in an apologetic caress. But at the same time, he couldn’t help it. Sousuke belonged to the sea, and though Shinji technically as a marine, did as well, he still yearned for land like a regular landlubber.

The melody resounded and it drove away the hardest of his nostalgia. For some reason he was also correlating that sound with Sousuke. Not that he could specifically trace it back to Sousuke, the notes didn’t blast from Sousuke like it did from an instrument. Yet with Sousuke’s magic it certainly wouldn’t be far fetched. Nice of the merman to want everything to stay positive, but that was not how life worked. 

Weathering the hardest storms didn’t come without a struggle.

He quivered when Sousuke combed his hair behind his ear, those fingers then traced invisible lines on his skin.

“You’ve gotten tan.”

Difficult to say in the dark, the flames from the campfire created a false warm glow. And the moon wasn’t showing off its illuminating shine like it had done the previous nights. But yeah, what little colour he had procured under the blazing heat could be admired in the sobering sunlight.

At least the weird tan lines that his boxers had created were gone.

Those enchanting purple eyes had to be enhanced with a clear eyesight, because Sousuke’s gaze was roaming his skin diligently. And the soft ticklish sensation of fingertips followed soon after.

“Except here.” Sousuke said and Shinji jumped when the tail glided back into the water to make room for Sousuke’s palm that wrapped around his dick.

His cock still sported that pinkish hue, wandering around butt-naked, didn’t change a damn thing about that.

But Sousuke was fascinated enough about that part of him, actually, about all of him. The merman could seemingly spend his days scrutinising every little detail on his body.

Shinji couldn’t blame Sousuke, because he also praised every inch of Sousuke. The differences in their physiology was one thing that attracted them to each other.

And there was nothing sexier than sinking in between Sousuke’s luscious lips. A damn shame that, “The moon doesn’t want me to witness you like this.”

Yet that magic was always there to help him a hand. A flashlight appeared from who knew where. It was one of those waterproof ones though, a wee bit familiar actually.

But gone were his drowning troubles when he was sucked into bliss.

\----

Shinji kept the flashlight. It would accompany him on his next exploration of the cave. Somehow he still waited until Sousuke was set off to scouring the ocean for any life. Which was something he had to practically beg Sousuke for. That the creature was unfamiliar with his need for other human life might be understandable, but Sousuke came from a colony himself, so the merman had to have some form of knowledge of companionship.

Sousuke clung to him and dubbed him as the merman’s human. Yet that overstepped the boundaries of love and transformed almost into ownership. As much as Shinji liked that worshipping, it was also kinda creepy...

Longing for another’s company didn’t mean that he wanted to spend 24/7 every day of his life with that same person. Nah, he was glad that he could convince Sousuke to search the sea for a little bit. Some alone time, away from that suffocating hold, was a life saviour to his mental state.

He had said it before, but without Sousuke, his mind was clearer.

Swimming back to the same crevice, he felt around, on the lookout for a larger hole where he himself could squeeze through. He also lit up the cave with the flashlight so he could catch glimpses of what lay beyond the rocky surface.

A lot of clutter apparently. It was stuffed with lots of bits and pieces. He had even encountered a keg of some sort. He couldn’t be sure unless he could actually inspect it closer.

Shinji went back up briefly, for a breather, and to get his trusted spear.

If he couldn’t find an entrance, he could dig himself into the alcove. The rocks gave easier underneath the water than above.

It was also where the warm stream came from, because as he dug deeper, it did seem like the water was pleasantly heated. Maybe it was a hidden treasure recess. Anything could excite him now.

The further he created an indentation, he was also beginning to become creeped out. Some type of weird blubber escaped. A clutch of frogspawn? drifted out. It was bigger than any frog eggs he had ever seen, but it resembled it. It had those weird black fat heads and a tail, plus it was alive, since it writhed in that see-through shell.

Shinji avoided puncturing that with his spear, for fear of setting loose an army of those things, it reminded him of what happened when a spider egg sack exploded.

The water was still nicely heated, but he could’t help the shiver down his spine.

With the clutch of blubber gone, Shinji concentrated on creating a passageway, big enough for his body to fit through. He then swam into the small alcove. Spear and flashlight at the ready, he was prepared to encounter any sea creatures that might have used the place as a hideout. 

Nothing endangering though as far he could tell at first glance. With everything so cluttered, he had difficulty focusing his flashlight on one thing in particular. 

And there was really everything imaginable. Bottles, both empty and full. Strangely the type of liquors that he had consumed on the island thus far... Oh and a mirror, he was kinda surprised to see his reflection after such a long time. Sousuke had definitely left his mark, since his neck was littered with hickeys. He set it aside quickly, because his hair looked like it couldn’t be detangled anymore... 

There was gold, lots of it, coins, jewellery, drinking vessels and cutlery alike so it made Shinji think it was some type of treasure chamber after all.

Because it housed treasure chests as well. He managed to fiddle with the locks until one of them opened. It was filled with a bunch of cards, plasticised, so the water didn’t dissolve the papers. They drifted away with the current, yet Shinji did catch a hold of some when he recognised one of the pictures on it.

His military badge!! And one of the other’s was a driver’s license of one Kurosaki Isshin and a boarding ticket to a cruise for one Kuchiki Byakuya...

Was this perhaps the merman’s Den?

The cold shock that went through him had him suddenly experiencing breathlessness, he dove back for the passageway. And once back above the surface, he took a desperate gasp of air.

He was the only human Sousuke had encountered? What a big fat lie! 

Why else would Sousuke have all those forms of ID stocked away, like a prize? Had those perhaps been Sousuke’s humans previously? Then what had happened to them? Or a much more pressing issue: what was Sousuke planning on doing with him?

Maybe there were all set free, he tried to shush himself, yet with Sousuke’s possessiveness that seemed highly unlikely.

He didn’t want to go back into the alcove, for fear of uncovering his horrid destiny. But at the same time, with his army badge down there, Sakanade might be laying around as well?

Glancing nervously around, he tried to glance into the distance to see if he saw Sousuke’s tail. Estimating how long it had been since Sousuke left or would come back for that matter was useless, the merman sometimes took his time on those searches and other times...not.

If Sousuke was even doing as he said and not driving away any form of life, or worse destroying them, like what happened to Visored.

Screw it, with everything happening, he would feel safer with Sakanade around. So he went back down.

No Sakanade to be found, but he did encounter an indentation that was besmirched with threads that cocooned something. And with the way it had encased his dead comrades before, like on the ghost ship, he was reluctant on taking another peek. But at the same time his curiosity got the best of him...

The thought that it was empty and reserved for him briefly crossed his mind, but when his spear cut through the threads easily, it became clear that it hid something inside.

Or someone...

The pirate, it was the pirate, Kyouraku something... Funny how after so many days, weeks, the body hadn’t even started decomposing yet. As if the cocoon preserved it. Shinji even tried to shake the pirate awake, because he looked to be sleeping.

Kyouraku was wearing the medallion that Shinji had seen the captain of that ghost ship wearing. It was glowing a deep purple. That was not the right sort of necklace. Shinji didn’t know Kyouraku personally, but the pirate had clutched that heart pendant like a lifeline!

And even though he and the pirate had had nothing in common, Shinji wasn’t going to leave him down here to be swallowed up by that cocoon. He cut Kyouraku out of the threads and swam back up, along with the pirate.

This way he could also confront Sousuke with his lie as well.

It took a while before he could get the heavy pirate out of the water and unto the island. He then set out to unwrap the heart pendant from the leaf, so he could switch the necklaces rightfully.

But the medallion had no clasp and there was no way that it could be simply pulled over the pirate’s head either. He tried to yank the medallion off instead, yet the gold chain only created an incision in Kyouraku’s neck. 

Maybe his spear could saw through the chain. It did! But the second the chain broke a loud screech resounded through the air. The waves turned wild, splashing against the rocks with a punishing force, before they seemingly rolled back further into the ocean, only to come back with a vengeance.

The sky turned pitch black all of a sudden, while the ocean water gathered together, rolling into a gigantic tsunami that loomed over the island, ready to take everything with it into the depths.

Shinji held on for dear life at the trunk of the palm tree while grasping Kyouraku’s arm, hoping they could withstand the flood that would come crashing unto them.

But the water kept hovering above them and a silhouette appeared.

Sousuke? No, it wasn’t Sousuke, not entirely. The merman’s tail had turned a greyish white and the enchanting purple eyes gained a triplet, smack in the middle of the merman’s forehead. Huge fins sprouted out of the creature’s back, almost resembling butterfly wings. And it had talons, not nails.

That was the creature that had taken his ship down!!

He had to let go of the pirate, to take a hold of his spear, ready to stab the creature once it made a move.

It screeched again, as it suddenly honed in on Shinji. No soothing melodies came forth from that thing.

The second it came close, Shinji struck at it. But all he speared was a bunch of water that exploded all around him, but it was enough to submerge the island. The sand turned into a mud like substance which stabilised Shinji somewhat when he was swallowed by the sand, up to his ankles. 

Yet the water cleared away just as soon, taking anything that lay loosely unto the sand, with it. And as Shinji became aware that Kyouraku was drifting away, he tried to get himself loosened from the quicksand substance or even reach out to Kyouraku, but it was too late.

The pirate got taken back into the ocean...

Shinji didn’t have much time to dwell on that fact when the creature’s silhouette spawned in front of him. Even though he realised it was useless, his reflexes still stabbed at the creature. Yet instead of being bombarded with a bomb of pressurised water, he had collided with something.

His spear was held midway from penetrating the person that stood towering over him. It was the captain of that ghost ship. Now it also dawned on him why Sousuke had seemed so familiar, because that face was undeniably Sousuke. In all its forms. Unimagined force then propelled him out of the sand and threw him against one of the palm trees. 

Shinji could have sworn he heard his back breaking as he hit the trunk. The impact was much worse and he momentarily couldn’t breathe. It felt as if he had been squished from the front and the back. He grasped helplessly at his chest, even when Sousuke’s human form gained up on him again. 

“Wait...” he croaked out in a shaky gasp that hurt his upper torso. “Can’t we talk about this?” he needed a little more time to regain some form of strength and to grab at his spear...

“What is there to talk about?” Sousuke questioned in that friendly natured voice, that while previously had Shinji in awe, now, it only caused warning signals to flash into his mind. “You clearly want to run away from me.” Sousuke concluded while crouching down in front of Shinji’s slumped over form. The hand that reached out to stroke his cheek didn’t stimulate the same sort of loving feels, it had Shinji flinching, even though it didn’t hurt. “But, if I can’t have you, no one will.” 

The words were already laced with a promising pain, but when the smooth hand struck out against his cheek, the sharp aching sting it inflicted had him practically choking out a gasp. And that, while it was still so difficult to breathe... 

Gone was the sweet gentle merman when it had transformed and revealed its ugly truth... It had been nothing more than a fantasy after all.

He could only just in time tighten his hold on his spear or he was pulled into the water, along with FrankenMerman. The one with the greyish scales and too many damn fins to count.

The forced swallow of a bunch of water, when Shinji hadn’t even had the time yet to take a decent breather, fogged up his brain. And instead of worrying about his fate, he was hoping the merman’s true form hadn’t been this thing, since the sex was the only memory he wantedto cherish in his last moments, but not when it had been with that monster!

He still vaguely recalled that he was being dragged into the alcove, in the same indentation that Kyouraku had been displayed. The thread like substances that swirled around his legs were no freakin’ mystery at that point anymore.

But Hell if he was gonna let himself be buried alive!!

He wouldn’t go down without a fight!

Gathering the last of his strength he struck out with his spear for the last time. The lack of coordination due to the water filling his lungs made him target the medallion around the merman’s neck. Since when was the freak wearing that again?!

Well that had been it, his last spurt of remaining force and he had hit an armoured plate. Since it didn’t even spear through the glowing purple diamond. 

It splintered though! And Sousuke’s weird monster form transformed back into its human one, or it kind of short-circuited. Since Sousuke was constantly changing forms, like it was gonna explode in indecisiveness.

The water became unruly again and it slurped Shinji out of the passageway, forcing his lungs to inhale another tsunami of salt water. It hurt so much that he couldn’t witness anything except Sousuke returning to human form permanently and fighting against the waves himself, before everything turned black in front of Shinji’s eyes.

\----

Shinji awoke, the burning in his lungs had taken on a whole other level. He would have thought he had landed in heaven, yet with the pain coursing through his torso, there was no way that Solace had welcomed him in its arms.

He steered and his immobility struck a fear through his abused frame. The cocoon was soft though, because he felt something plush underneath him. And there was no water at all...

“Hello!”

And there was a voice... Opening his eyes with much difficulty, he was confronted with his own angelic form. Actually when his sight cleared, he could see that it was not himself but a man with chin length blond hair was leaning over him. They man appeared to be wearing a coat. 

“I’m Urahara Kisuke, marine biologist, welcome aboard R&D!”

Shinji was actually lying in a hospital bed and the threads he felt were the dozen or so tubes connected to him. One even disappeared in his nose... That would explain the burn there as well. 

Trying to straighten up, had Urahara gently pushing him back down. “Oh no, you need your rest. The drainage system takes a whole lot of energy from you.”

As he was looking at Urahara with wide eyes, the man explained, “We fished you out of the ocean, and we then drained your lungs of all of the excess water. You were lucky we found you.”

That literally unloaded a burden from his shoulders... And even though he was still wheezing painful breaths, he was suddenly feeling a lot better. Man, he could even kiss the floor of R&D.

The gentle motions of the ship were comforting and he thanked whatever deity there was out there for rescuing him from that nightmare. The small circular windows provided him a view and yeah it was still only sea as far as he could see, this time though, he was a lot more appreciative of the sight. 

Until...

The daylight was suddenly traded in for a pitch black and the melody that he had started to resent sounded again. His head snapped to Urahara, who said, “Do you hear that as well?”

Fuck no!!!

**End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Why the cliffhanger/open type of end? Because it had no tag of character death, so I couldn’t and didn’t want it to turn into a Fairytale end where Sousuke died or a bad ending/drama/horror with Shinji’s death. 
> 
> A/N: The new horror short fic is gonna creep up soon though, just in time for SpookTober!!! 
> 
> A/N: The weird type of blubber can be seen as whatever you want: Want it to go kind of Mpreg route => they certainly fit as eggs!! Don’t want anything to do with Mpreg, that’s fine, you can make it as a disgusting fish type of excretion or oversized frogspawn, whatever you want! 


End file.
